


The Dark Sentinels

by KaiosReins



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:08:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28352199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiosReins/pseuds/KaiosReins
Summary: You are a person living in the lands of Solendium, travelling about as you engage in various exploits. In your travels, you have encountered what appear to be books or journals, written in a strange runic language that is hard to decipher. Despite this, you eventually manage to decipher the information and learn - this is the story of the Dark Sentinels, from the roots to the end.





	1. Book I: The Days of Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Solendium and recognised characters are the products of Heroes Odyssey. The author takes no credit for their creation and claims no ownership of any recognisable characters, groups, events, or ideas. The Dark Sentinels and associated characters are the creation of the author only.

I suppose it falls to myself, the last-known survivor, to explain who and what we were, and impart the knowledge we carried with us. I can only hope to do my fallen brothers and sisters justice within these pages. For the sake of ease, names will be written in Yehnarian, but all else will be transcribed in Sentili, the written language of my former order.

In the weeks and months following a great calamity, those with the right connections were able to learn that the freezing rains were the remnants of the Aura, the ethereal essence that empowered the gods and goddesses of Solendium. Most of the known “Heroes”, an elite collection of semi-immortal beings, were frozen in the rain of the shattered Aura. Most of these people had become the leaders of various provinces and people, so their sudden freezing had other effects on the rest of the realms, some that would be keenly felt in the years to come – for with the leaders frozen in crystal stone, a void opened where they had once stood.

Nobility, merchants, and those who perceived themselves to hold some degree of power tried to step up and fill these positions, but in many cases these attempts gave way to infighting, as it always will among the egotistical. With no clear leadership to organise guardship and militants, and with no lone rangers to keep them at bay, bandits grew more bold in their pursuits, eventually targeting entire towns and cities. The most infamous of these is the Red Willows attack on the port town of Earengar, where several ships were included in the raid and almost all civilians were killed alongside those who attempted to defend them. Pirates ran rampant, bandits were raiding and pillaging entire cities, and all that kept the prospecting leaders safe was their personal guards, who were stretched thin enough as it were with protecting the estates.

From these dark times, several people rose out of the shadow. Three former townsguard, two ex-soldiers, and a ranger banded together to protect the village they had come to call home, ridding the surrounding hills of the bandit clan that had arrived to pillage. This hexad, once convinced their own home was safe, moved on to eradicate the marauders from a neighbouring village, and then to a nearby town. As they moved from settlement to settlement, more sons and daughters of farmers joined with them, whether skilled or not they were first tested in their tolerance to bloodshed, and then trained in combat.

As the numbers of this vigilance grew, they became a militia, then a military with splinter groups that remained in specific regions. Their aim was to protect the commonfolk from threat, so that those who didn’t have the money to hire personal guard, and were without the protections of their former rulers, could go about their daily lives without fear of destruction. Over the next decade, the Sentinels became recognised as living legends for their work, standing up where others had fallen, and filling the spaces left by the Heroes who had turned to stone.

Within this decade, the upper classes eventually reorganised themselves, whether through conquest or debate they doled out leadership so that regions were divided and fell under the control of specific landowners. These new leaders, impressed with the feats of the Sentinels, sought to hire them as private militia. One of the rules the group had always abided by, however, was to never accept money as payment when it might be far cheaper for commonfolk to offer food and other goods or services.

With the threat of anarchy mostly eradicated, however, work for them became less frequent, and it became common for some of their number to choose to remain in various holds, castles, fortresses, and other garrisons. The roaming Sentinels retained their name, while those who settled became military captains and such, training future generations of regional guards. As the former Sentinels retired out, and then their apprentices retired, the stories of the old militia faded from fact to legend, then to myths told to young children. Within the span of four generations, with order bein g restored, the story of the Sentinels would fade from even the longest memories.

Of course, this is only part of the story.


	2. Book II: Of Justice

For the first Sentinels in those early days and weeks, their role was little more than that of guardsmen and guardswomen. They defended farmers and settlements, hunted down dangerous animals that threatened the safety of the people, and settled petty squabbles between homesteads, families, and individuals. For the smaller hexad that started out, this was difficult at first, but as they grew in experience and size, the sharing of knowledge occurred in much the same way old militia forces would train. All who would join were encouraged to first follow the group and witness the violence and bloodshed that was part of such a life, and then if they chose to continue then they would first begin with the basics of self-defence, before being asked once again if they wished to remain. If the prospective Sentinel again agreed, they would then speak the creed:

_A shield in the darkness, I vow to be  
For justice, peace, and equality._

With the re-establishment of locale guardians, many of the younger and newer Sentinels took up employment – though not all. For some, the life of a ranger was more suitable, while others were dubious about the ability of some to lead fairly. The original hexad had, of course, chosen to remain together, and they continued to lead those who remained or returned – as some who had taken up employment ended up leaving due to disputes over wages, working conditions, and even medical treatments.

The most notable of these was the dispute of La Noch, a large town presided over by Earl Jaren. In a short skirmish with would-be raiders nestled in the nearby crags, two of the youngest townguards were gravely wounded. Under Jaren’s order, both were retired with a single sum paid to them, but no offer of medical help for their long-term injuries nor any offer of a permanent steading within the region. The youngsters, striplings by most standards, were simply retired and left to fend for themselves. The Captain, a former Sentinel, argued in their favour and tried to entreaty Jaren to provide further support, but the Earl refused – politely, but firmly. Disillusioned with the Earl’s surrounding court’s response, the Captain abandoned his post and took the two youth with him – though one lacked a hand and the other walked with a limp, they would still be able to find support within the Sentinels

Stories like this became more and more commonplace, to the point where the surviving Sentinels sent out missives to former members, offering them a free return if they so chose. While some were living under poor conditions, others were not, but in most cases they were reluctant to leave their new positions, unless dire situations demanded it.

As those who had formerly held only minimal power, some of the new leaders began to exploit the boundaries afforded their newer positions, allowing corruption, greed, and avarice to become increasingly widespread. Witnessing this silently, the Sentinels realised that they had some among their number with the ability to do something about this unfortunate change. In the case of Earl Jaren, who had more and more reports made against his name from commonfolk choosing to leave his service, a plot was made by the Hexad, who decided to test the feasibility of this new option.

Among the Hexad was the light elf Elaena the Ranger, who had been known in various courts of the past. Using her old connections, she entered the Earl’s court, meeting and learning the other high-ranking people of the region and assessing them. Among them, Jaren’s brother was found to be the most suitable candidate for his brother’s replacement – however, by the rite of inheritance, the title would pass to Jaren’s son before it could pass to his brother.

Denec, a former guardsman who had made himself skilled in chemistry, infiltrated the kitchens and began to poison the arrogant son’s food. He fell ill from this, and the poison was stopped so as not to kill him. He began to recover, before falling ill once again – the poison had been designed to weaken his body to other natural illnesses, and this long-lasting effect would affect him for the rest of his life.

Enacting the assassination of the Earl was easy from there – and with his adult son often ill, many of the court turned to his brother to fill the Earl’s vacated seat. With their task done, the Sentinels remained in the town, secretly, long enough to ensure that the new Earl did not fall victim to the same power lust his brother had – and indeed were impressed when he sent out missives for the former captain and two youths who had been wronged, to return and be granted the proper compensation.

Satisfied with their own work and their judgement, the Hexad returned to the other Sentinels. As they continued to move about, eradicating the corruption that had begun to spread, they develop a kin with the shadows, switching their trade from simple warrior activity to that of the darkness, the role of rogues hidden within shadows. Though they kept their creed, they called themselves the Dark Sentinels.

In time, they would come to follow their own rules and become very different from the original group – but their intended missives would remain the same.


	3. Book III: A Place to Call Home

The Hexad of the Dark Sentinels was comprised of the six founding members – Elaena, Denec, Hrorgar, Chak, Nycht, and Alissei. Each had become a master of their chosen discipline, and each believed that combat could be carried out in a certain way. Elaena was a master of disguise, able to change her apparent appearance just by shifting her posture and expression, and could fit in almost anywhere and talk sense into almost anybody; Denec, the master of alchemy, was exceptional at brewing potions, poisons, elixirs, and using flora and fauna to alter the conditions of a person or item. Hrorgar, being an orc, had a strong preference for solving problems with strong steel and a mighty swing, while Nycht was known to vanish entirely along with anything she deemed worthy of claiming as her own. Chak, who claimed to bear dragon blood in his veins, was a master of literacy and the written word, and in the earliest days created a very simple selection of runes for the group to understand communication without alerting bandits to their knowledge. And, of course, Alissei the sorcerer.

Although in their bandit-fighting days they had undertaken more combative roles, it was recognised that with their new direction, each of these skills could be employed and serve strong purpose for the group. Though the idea of a school of combat had been discussed, they had not the location nor the materials to build such a place, so despite the group’s eventual desire to settle down in one place, this would remain a dream – but not for long.

Lord Leodolan was a noble who had never had a son or daughter, never married, and had always been fair and caring to his people despite the hardships. In the darker times following the Aura rains, he had chosen not to make a claim for greater power, instead continuing to preside over his private estate. He was second cousin to Nycht, and when he knew his time was coming to an end he sent a missive to her, bequeathing her with his estate under the condition that she keep it autonomous of any other holds. Recognising the opportunity they had desired for years, Nycht accepted, and waited on her cousin in his final days while her fellow Sentinels acquainted themselves with the locals.

In the Leodolan Estates, there were four freeman farms, a small quarry, a stable and stud, and a well-defended fortress with enough internal supplies and provisions to survive two months of siege. The fortress itself was hidden among the mountains, with the more defensible areas carved into the stone of the cliff faces surrounding it, overlooking the valley that held the farms and the quarry. While the entire region could have comfortably housed thousands, it had been home to a scant hundred faithful. Best of all, to those who didn’t know to look for it, the valley was hidden, seemingly inaccessible as the track leading to it was barely big enough for a horse, let alone a cart. The fortress and surrounds had been self-sufficient for so long that most had forgotten it even existed, and Leodolan had made no attempts to enter the strife of the dark days, preferring his isolation.

For the Sentinels, the place that would come to be known as Fort Leodolan was perfect. It was here that they settled. The locals accepted them happily, ignoring the combination of races and welcoming each Sentinel as readily as the last, and for those who had grown weary of battle, retiring to a life of farming, smithing, or teaching was a suitable endeavour in their opinion.

As the age turned on and the old fighters aged, the Hexad learned of further corruption that was spreading through the land again. Considering it their duty, they once again set out without the other Sentinels, to root out the problems. What they found, however, was a changed land, and the threat of war between two of the largest powers, fighting for control of the land of Vantacor.

As is known by all, war has an effect of catastrophe on all who are touched by it, and once again feeling a duty to those without voice, the Hexad of the Dark Sentinels intervened where they could. Those who had been forced to swear fealty to overlords supported the notion of free provinces and free people, and supported the Dark Sentinels in their efforts to prevent the war. With their skills in subterfuge, assassination, and delivering a brand of justice, the Hexad and those who stayed true to their oaths rose in the shadow. The two claimants to the High Kingship were assassinated, their families erased, and their strongest supporters removed. Recognising that they could never simply hide in their mountain fortress again, the Dark Sentinels set to work immediately, but the new question arose – when they were gone, who would carry the shield against darkness?

The answer to this was one that had already been suggested, and indeed the Hexad decided it was the most suitable option. In their travels, those agents of the Dark Sentinels would seek out orphans and unwanted children, take them in, and raise them under the conditions that would ideally train a master of their skill.

It was in this time that the second chapter of the Dark Sentinels came to a close – but the story continues on.


End file.
